Champion movement in your workplace— It’s good for business
Because every day is “Take Your Body to Work Day!”
Have you ever been in a meeting where, at about 52 minutes past the hour, frustrations rose and everything you thought you agreed on seemed to evaporate?
What if there was an easy and low-cost strategy that might keep things from falling apart?
Here’s a simple proposal:
To reduce frustration and improve communication and collaboration in your organization, build movement into your company culture and schedule.
Some backstory:
In a past life, I worked as a Project Manager for a small team with wildly flexible scheduling, sort of early hybrid.
Our in-person time was a precious commodity, and every couple of weeks we’d pack in hours of back-to-back meetings. I personally couldn’t stand sitting still that long, so I’d get up and wiggle in the doorway.
After a while, people started to join me in standing up, and then we made it a happy habit.
10 minutes before the hour, no matter what we were doing, we’d stand up or wiggle in our chairs, even as we continued the meeting.
It was a quirky culture shift, but you know what? We became less cranky, used our time more efficiently, communicated better, and had better collaborative ideas.
Simple strategies like this are overlooked but powerful ways to boost employee engagement, productivity, and create the conditions for powerful collaboration.
Let's take a closer look at why movement makes a difference.
The Benefits of Boosting Workplace Movement
Been on an airplane recently? It’s not rocket science that being in any one position for hours can lead to back and neck pain, headaches, and fatigue.
The term “sitting disease” has had a good run in the last decade, and refers to the potential health effects of sitting for long periods of time. It’s not my favorite term, since a) sitting is a movement and not a disease and b) not everyone can easily stand.
Promoting low-intensity physical movement – standing up, walking, stretching, even wiggling — during the workday provides an incredible array of benefits.
Improved Focus and Cognitive Function
Getting up and moving boosts blood/oxygen flow, which increases energy, reduces brain fog, and sharpens focus.
Higher Productivity and Engagement
People who move more during work are less likely to lose interest in what they are doing. They accomplish more with a better sense of well-being.
Reduced Musculoskeletal Pains and Discomfort
Changing postures and positions prevents repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) that can hamper performance.
Enhanced Mood and Emotional Resilience
Feeling chained to a desk is both unhealthy and counter-productive. Having the freedom to move, whether people choose to or not, can help reduce reactivity and increase personal investment in their work.
Better Culture and Workplace Satisfaction
Allowing and encouraging movement demonstrates your commitment to employee wellness - which boosts loyalty and retention. Specifically, building movement into your culture may be an inclusion strategy for those neurodivergent team members for whom movement helps manage sensory overload.
Reduced Absenteeism
There’s a compelling case study from my colleague Priska Gauger who brought the Alexander Technique to Victorinox, the Swiss army knife company. Among other benefits, they saw absenteeism shrink by approximately 30% over a period of five years.
The seventh inning what?!
Maybe you’re one of the 500 million baseball fans that already know this, but it was an absolute surprise to me when I went to a baseball game and late in the game the whole crowd stood up and moved their bodies.
Who knew?! The 7th inning stretch is actually a time to stretch! I’d always thought it was an especially long inning to really get things done. (I was gratified to learn that my spouse did not know this either. Lucky catch.)
If 47,943 people can agree to do this in a stadium, why not the 7 people in your conference room?
Building a Movement-Friendly Workplace
Normalizing more movement in the office – even the small movements of daily life – can pay huge dividends for your company's performance and bottom line.
This doesn't necessarily mean holding calisthenics sessions in the conference room, though that does sound fun.
The real shifts proposed here are not athletic or competitive.
In fact, not being overly programmatic may be the most inclusive and accessible approach, as every person, every body, has different needs. For neurodivergent team members, a walking meeting may be the perfect thing to help process sensory input. For someone with allergies, an outdoor walking meeting may be a no-go. The idea is to create options and let people opt in.
So how can you inject more movement into your workplace?
This doesn't have to cost a lot, whether your team is in-person, remote, or hybrid.
Offer walking/standing meetings as an option for those who are interested.
Using Agile? Actually stand up for your stand-up.
For walking meetings, use a voice-to-text note-taking app as needed.
During remote meetings, since you are likely doing less typing, stand or push back and move in your chair during remote meetings. Just start doing it. People will start to copy you, and you’ll all be the better for it.
Schedule 25- and 50-minute meetings. This leaves time for movement breaks.
Make sure your spaces and furniture are movement friendly. (These ones aren’t free.)
Install (or reimburse for remote teams for) motorized sitting-to-standing desks.
Check that the chairs in your conference room swivel and roll. Being stuck in a static chair is no fun.
Be sure there is enough space for wheelchair users to not only get from place to place but to take space for movement.
Encourage everyday movement by bringing me in for a group training! Group learning will make change more possible.
Creating New Pathways for Innovation and Success
Movement is a constant for everyone. Even sitting in a chair, we are breathing, making slight adjustments to our posture, maybe even making expressions with our faces while typing.
Creating a company culture where larger movement is ok also creates the possibility that those smaller movements don't get stifled or suppressed.
Movement is natural. The suppression of movement takes energy.
By encouraging movement throughout the day, you're giving your team the chance to reset, connect, and quite literally develop new neural pathways that lead to innovation.
THIS is how innovation is born.
The bottom line: When you prioritize movement at work, everyone wins. Your employees become healthier, happier, and more engaged.
That infectious energy will reach all aspects of your business, from teams to customers.
How can YOUR team use movement to spark innovative ideas, enhance clear communication, and boost team motivation?
Consider a custom workshop or private coaching. Contact me today and let’s craft the solution that is right for you.
